White Salmon Monthly Giveaway – Gorge Ink
It’s GIVEAWAY time again, and we are featuring Gorge Ink for November for a chance to win a $100 Gift Card toward ANY product or service!
Congratulations to our October winner – Kaitlin Iversen. We hope you are enjoying our giveaways as much as we are–it has been great interviewing and learning more about our local business owners! We are so fortunate to live in a place with so much diversity for such a small town–from our unique gift shops, the amazing food, wine, and craft brew, not to mention the myriad of artists and wellness professionals!
The Explore White Salmon website and social media pages aim to focus on our immediate and nearby surrounding communities to promote and spotlight these small businesses while striving toward an emphasis on sustainable tourism. We are doing our best to keep you informed on upcoming events and happenings in and around White Salmon!
HOW IT WORKS
At the beginning of each month, we will partner with a local business in Downtown White Salmon. Each business owner will decide what they would like to donate. We will then highlight the details on our Instagram and Facebook pages.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
1: Follow @explorewhitesalmon on Instagram
2: Like the post
3: Tag your friends in the comment section
(more comments/tags = more entries!)
The last entry will be the last day of the month. One winner will be randomly selected and notified on the 1st of the month and will be notified via our Instagram stories.
NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY
Now on to our November giveaway, courtesy of James Chapman from GORGE INK!!
WHAT YOU WILL WIN
A $100 Gift Card toward ANY product or service!
We asked James a few questions about running a business here in White Salmon…
Explore White Salmon (EWS):
Tell us a little bit about how you got started.
James:
When I moved to the Gorge in 2010, I needed a mailbox for my consulting business and found POSTAL CONNECTIONS in White Salmon. I came in to get my mail one day, and the owner said she was closing the shop at the end of the month. I told her she couldn’t close it as it was my business address! She replied, “The shop is for sale, and you already know the business – you should buy it!” I worked in the Gorge as a consultant and did most of my printing with Matt at Optimist Printers in The Dalles. I presented him with the idea to take our combined 50+ years of industry experience and partner up to open GORGE INK, which we did in April 2015.
EWS:
Why specifically a print shop?
James:
Both my dad and grandpa were printers, publishers, and published authors. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in their shops, helping with projects and learning about the various equipment and technologies. During college, it seemed natural to take on a part-time job at Kinko’s. I loved everything about the business model and having access to the latest technologies for school and creative projects. I took college courses in graphic design, business management, and accounting, which led to a 20-year management career with Kinko’s that brought me to Portland in 1997, where I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. The opportunity to own and operate a print shop in a beautiful town with direct access to the forests, rivers, and mountains was an easy decision.
EWS:
Tell us about your services.
James:
We specialize in locally produced printing, shipping, signs, and design and have various printing options–from our offset printing presses in The Dalles–to our large format printer here in White Salmon. We recently printed and mounted several large posters for White Salmon City Hall that added a nice touch to their meeting room. We also print a lot of architectural drawings and blueprint plans for contractors and developers. Our full-time graphic designer can design everything from logos to websites to business cards and flyers. We do a lot of metal signs for the community, as well as yard signs, outdoor banners, and a-frame signs. We also provide mailing services because of our partnership with the US Postal Service and their Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) program. By targeting a specific zip code, you can save quite a bit in postage with EDDM. We provide all the services, from design, print, bundle, sort, and mail. We also have mailbox rentals available to those seeking an alternative to the post office.
EWS:
What are your best-selling items/services?
James:
Mailing services have become one of our more popular services, and we do a lot of mailings for various organizations throughout the Gorge.
Another is signs and banners. GORGE INK-produced signs are all over town! We’re also a proud supporter of youth sports and provide banners for the Little League fields, football teams, volleyball, and basketball teams. You can pick up your GO BIG RED signs at GORGE INK to support Columbia High School! We also do a lot of faxing, and now have a new self-service fax station.
EWS:
What is the most fun part of what you do?
James:
It’s been fun getting to know my local customers and learning about their business. It’s great to be a part of a small community where your customers are also your friends, neighbors, and family, and I enjoy meeting new people to see how our services can help free up their time. The most fun is when people come into the shop thinking they have a big, complex problem, and we can solve it for them quickly!
EWS:
What is the most challenging?
James:
With rising costs for supplies, merchant fees, and internet service, to name a few, striking a balance between raising prices and staying competitive can be challenging. Running a business in a small town like White Salmon has its pros and cons–we don’t get the volume of traffic that you see in Hood River or The Dalles, but this enables us to provide a higher level of focus for each customer and a higher quality product.
EWS:
When someone new comes into your store, what do you want them to know about you and your business?
James:
We’re here to help them, whether it’s a simple daily task like shipping a package or sending a fax or a more extensive project like signs, a newsletter, or a mailing. If they request a service or product we don’t provide, we can usually connect them to someone local who can help them.
EWS:
Describe your favorite customer.
James:
I enjoy working with energetic, creative, visionary entrepreneurs or a business/organization that contributes something positive back to the community. Also, learning about the area’s history from locals who have been here for generations is always interesting.
EWS:
What are you most excited about regarding your business this year?
James:
We’re currently working with UPS (and FedEx) to become an official UPS pickup location. Stay tuned for that announcement once it’s official!
EWS:
What is your most popular service for visitors?
James:
Visitors love our local White Salmon postcards, stickers, prints, and t-shirts and tend to pick up items during their travels they’d rather ship home and not have to check a bag at the airport.
Thank you, James! We’re glad you’re here!
